Legacy of the Kin
by Muntin
Summary: Badgerkit is born into Darktail's Kin in a time of great hardship. War is looming and inevitable. Sweetkit is born in Darktail's prison. She has a harsh choice. Loyalty or death. An AU of Shattered Sky. What if Darktail wasn't defeated as easily.
1. Prologue

Kin Alliances

Leader: 

Darktail- a strong muscular tom with white fur broken up by black spots around his eyes

Medicine Cat:

Puddleshine- brown tom with white splotches

Frondfire- white and brown she-cat

The "Kin":

Rain- long furred gray tom with green eyes

Raven- long furred black she-cat

Roach- silver gray tom

Nettle- brown tabby tom with long spikey fur

Bark- brown tom with a ripped ear

Thorn- yellow she-cat

Loki- brown tabby tom

Zelda- white she-cat with long fur

Violetfeather- black and white she-cat with yellow eyes

Sleekwhisker- sleek yellow she-cat

Juniperclaw-black tom

Yarrowleaf- ginger she-cat with yellow eyes

Strikestone- tabby tom

Dawnpelt- cream furred she-cat

Beenose- plump white she-cat with black ears

Scorchfur- dark gray tom with slashed ears

Cloverfoot- gray tabby she-cat

Rippletail- white tom

Sparrowtail- large brown tabby tom

Mistcloud- spiky furred pale gray she-cat

Birchbark- beige tom

Lioneye- yellow she-cat with amber eyes

Slatefur- sleek gray tom

Pinenose- black she-cat

Conestrike- white and gray she-cat with blue eyes

Gullfang- gray tom with dark patches

Sludgefoot- brown tom with yellow eyes

Reedwhisker- black tom.

Shadepaw- black she-cat with white paws

Mudpaw- brown tom with a black tail and paws

Queens:

Needletail- silver she-cat

Grassheart- pale brown tabby she-cat (mother to Shrewkit)

Darktail narrowed his eyes trying to ignore the screams coming from the nursery. He licked his paw and began grooming himself. _'Queens, what a waste of space.'_ he thought and then chuckled.

It was true that Darktail always needed new warriors but what use was a warrior that couldn't hunt or fight. And kits… _'The clans are so weak.'_ He thought ' _What a waste of time. 6 "moons" is too long to wait.'_ He needed new warriors quickly, he didn't want to waste energy waiting. Darktail watched as Conestrike rushed over to join the crowd around the nursery. _'Humph… 3 moons are enough. Conestrike and her siblings turned out fine. Who care what the Kin thought. I am their leader. They fear me.'_

Darktail look around at his "Kin". They were strong. Darktail flicked an ear towards the nursery. They were stronger than any of the clans and they were still growing.

Darktail stretched and padded overto where Loki was guarding the Riverclan and Windclan prisoners. When Darktail approached, Loki dipped his head respectfully and stepped to the side allowing Darktail to see the malnourished prisoners. Puddleshine had insisted on tending to the injured warriors. ' _Puddleshine.'_ That cat was an annoyance. But at least he was a controllable annoyance. Unlike some. He looked around at his prisoners.

The prisoners were catching prey in leaf-bare. It would take awhile but eventually their spirits would break. He glanced in the direction of Reedwhisker. For the once deputy of Riverclan he wasn't very strong willed.

Their pelts hung from their bodies and their pelts were littered with scars. Darktail smirked. Loki had done his job well. He looked at the little kits suckling next to Minnowtail. They would become loyal warrior when they were older. Darktail cleared his throat. When they saw who it was they glared.

"What do you want?" Shadenose growled, his eyes alight with anger. The other prisoners nodded and a few stood up and stalked over to Darktail. Darktail grinned. Their pathetic attempt to intimidate him amused him. He would tell anyone but this was the favourite part of his day. Shadenose pressed his nose against Darktail's. "What are you smiling at?!" He snarled "Haven't tortured us enough?" Darktail chuckled as some of the prisoners instinctively used their tails to cover up the scars of beatings.

"I just wanted to ask if you've finally taken up my offer to pledge your loyalty?" Darktail announced innocently. The Riverclan and Windclan warriors stared at him in stony silence. "No?" Darktail asked. "Why not? Reedwhisker seems happy enough." Darktail grinned. He knew that this was a touchy subject. Some of the prisoners flinched.

"He's a traitor!" Brackenpelt exclaimed while Foxface nodded. All the prisoners glared at Reedwhisker who just flicked an ear at Brackenpelt's voice. A loud shriek from the nursery distracted Darktail. He narrowed his eyes. ' _Mousebrained Queens'_ he thought. He turned around.

"Sorry. As you see I have another matter to deal with. The Kin just gained more warriors." He looked at Loki and nodded, ignoring the snarls coming from behind him and a last shout from Minnowtail.

"Our clanmates will come for us. In the end Starclan will prevail! We will win foxheart!" Darktail's whiskers twitched. ' _Ahh yes the magical cats will save us all'_ He mocked in his head.

Darktail shoved through the crowd of cats and strode into the nursery. Needletail was lying on the ground, exhausted. There were two kits suckling next to her and one kit in the corner of the nursery, dead.

Darktail smiled at Needletail.

"Congratulations." He purred. "What are their names?" Needletail looked up at him her eyes hazy.

"Huh?" She whispered. "Oh Darktail." She looked up and smiled weakly at him. "I haven't decided on names yet. I can't think…" Needletail's head slammed back into the moss. Darktail reached forward to nudge her but a brown tail stopped him. He glared around into Puddleshines uncertain eyes.

"You shouldn't be bothering her. She is um very tired." He whispered meekly. When Darktails glare increased Puddleshine backtracked. "Not that you would ever be a bother to anyone Darktail." He hastily added. Darktail reached out a big paw and Puddleshine crouched almost flat on the ground.

"Get out." Darktail hissed. Puddleshine shot up and pelted out. Darktail prodded Needletail. She raised her head groggily. "Names." He growled. Needletails eyes widened slightly. She gestured to the small yellow she-kit.

"I was thinking, Goldenkit?" She mewed. Darktail nodded. Not his favourite name but it would have to do. "And for this one" She gestured to the small silver and gray she-kit. "I thought, Flowerkit?" The reaction from Darktail was almost instant. He glared down at the she-cat and growled.

"Do you want the Kin to be a laughing stock?!" He snarled. "What are we? Thunderclan?!" Needletail whimpered slightly and her tail curled around her kits. She was a bit indignant but she knew that it wasn't wise to fight back.

"F-fine." She murmured. She looked down and frowned slightly. She never told anyone but she had always wanted to name her kit Flowerkit, after her sister who had been still born. Needletail blinked back tears. What name?

"Badgerkit." Needletail looked up in surprise at Darktail's voice. She tilted her head slightly. "She looks a bit like a badger." Darktail explained indifference clear in his voice. Needletail nodded.

Uncomfortable silence filled the air. Needletail tried to avoid wrapping her tail around her kits. Darktail just stared at the kits a curious expression on his face. Thankfully after a few minutes of the silence the sound of thudding pawsteps filled the air. A few seconds a very flustered Rain rushed into the den.

"I came as soon as I heard. Are you okay?! Are the-"Rain realised that him and Needletail weren't the only cats in the den. Once Rain stopped talking he could almost smell the tension. He dipped his head respectfully at his leader and then tilted it. "Uhh sorry. Am I interrupting something?" He mewed. Darkatail looked at Needletail in distain and she narrowed his eyes at her.

"No." Darktail narrowed his eyes at Needletail. "I was just leaving." With that Darktail left. He could feel Needletail's stare dig into his back. As he left he could hear Rain's purrs and excited conversation.

Darktail sighed. He would never knew what it was like to have a loving father. Darktail glared in the direction of Windclan. A sadistic smile spread across his face. He had never known the love of a father but he would know the feeling of power when the clans eventually bent to his will. He looked at his clan, lazily sharing tongues. They were so close. His claws dug into the dry earth. Soon the power of all the clans would be his.


	2. Chapter 1

**Badgerkit's POV**

For a few weeks darkness was my world. All I had to guide me was my nose, ears and mouth. I don't remember much except for the smell of milk and a bright excited voice. I think I slept most of the time. That was it. Eat and sleep. But today was different. Today I welcomed a new sense into my world. Sight.

I woke up and yawned. My teeth were small but sharp. As I groggily regained my senses I heard voices around me.

"-haven't opened their eyes yet?" I can't quite recognize that voice. I remember it from somewhere. It is deep and very commanding. A voice that demands being listened to. A voice I can respect.

"Do you see any eyes open?" A different voice hisses. My mother. The voice, besides my own, that I am most familiar with. I get the feeling she doesn't like this cat.

"Why is it taking so long?! I need warriors. Not time wasters!" The deep voice snarled. It sounded angry. Angry at us.

"I don't know Darktail. These things don't happen overnight." My mother growled. I wonder why her and this Darktail were so angry. What was so important about having open eyes. "It is good their eyes aren't open I don't want my kits made into paws." My mother continued. I wondered what a paw was. That's the thing at the end of our leg…Isn't it? Do we become part of "Darktail's" paws?

"Besides they aren't even weaned. They've never taken a bite of prey." I wince. That is where she is wrong. I have taken a bite of prey before. I smelt it and took a bite. It was alright but I threw up soon after. Guess I'm going to stick to milk then.

"Well how long will weaning take Needletail?! Moons?!" Darktail said. Needletail. Was that our mothers name. Hmm… Needletail is a much cooler name than mother. I purred. It was good I found out her name. Mother started to feel a bit stale on my tongue.

I think my purring alerted them to my wakeful state because Needletail came rushing over. She started licking me. That was nice.

"Look what you've done Darktail." She hissed between licks. "You've woken her up. She's only small. She needs all her sleep." That comment irked me and I stopped purring. I was not small or young. I am big. I know Needletail's name. In fact, I would prove it.

I shook Needletail off, stood up and walked over to Darktail. I tugged on a tiny bit of his fur. I raised my head to where I assumed his face was.

"Mr Darktail, I'm not young. I can be a paw. Look!" I squeaked. I felt my eyelashes slowly split apart and I got my first glimpse at the world. The first thing I realised through my blurry vision was that I wasn't looking at Darktail's face I was looking at his chest.

"Wow Darktail! You're a lot bigger than I thought." I looked up at his face. He had a smirk on his face. I saw that he was looking at Needletail.

"Too small huh." He mewed. I loved the way his voice sounded. It was so deep and purry. I started to purr as I realised something. I had opened my eyes. I looked at Goldenkit. She was very yellow and I think slightly bigger than me but I had opened my eyes first. I smirked. Take that Goldy.

Darktail leant down slightly and looked at me through massive eyes. "Hey Badgerkit, want to go on an adventure?" His eyes sparkled with an emotion I couldn't quite understand. However, before I could answer, Needletail butted in.

"She doesn't want to explore. She's tired. Aren't-" Before she could finish I interrupted.

"Shut up Needletail." I looked up and the dark tom in front of me. "I want to go on an adventure." I looked at Needletail. She was opening and closing her mouth like frog. I could hear Darktail chuckle slightly and I smiled. "Well? Adventure!" Darktail smiled and nodded towards the exit. I couldn't wait for him and I bounded out.

Immediately my eyes were met with bright sunlight and I flinched and stopped in my tracks fighting the urge to close my eyes. I growled slightly. Through my half-closed eyes, I could see Darktail stride past me and jump onto this big rock thing. I tilted my head slightly. Was I supposed to follow him? Was this the adventure?

Curious, I ran after him. I looked around. Apparently, I wasn't the only one. A huge group had surrounded the rock and moth- Needletail had peered out of the nursery. I watched as Darktail opened his mouth. His mouth was full of sharp teeth. I didn't want to his bad side that's for sure.

"All cats old enough to kill gather round." Suddenly the camp fell silent and strange cats crept out of every corner. The crowd that had been there before suddenly looked tiny. I felt dizzy. How was I supposed to memorise all these cats? My thoughts were interrupted my Darktail's loud voice. "It has come to my attention that one kit is ready to be an apprentice." When Darktail said apprentice, he made air quotes and some of the cats at the front sniggered. I didn't get the joke. Darktail looked at me purposefully and gestured me to come to him. I walked forward, struggling on the rock but I finally collapsed next to him, exhausted. "Until you kill your first cat and catch you first prey your name will be- "

"-No!" I turned to the direction of the shout. It came from nursery.

"Needletail." Darktail hissed quietly. "Needletail why have you inturupted your leader. Are you not loyal?! Do you not want us to have more warriors?" Needletail gulped and shook slightly.

"I a-am loyal. I-I just think th-that Badgerkit is too w-weak. She hasn't e-even been weaned." Needletail's voice shook as Darktail glared at her. Most of the other cats feigned disinterest but they all watched. "You want strong killers don't you Darktail." She purred. "You don't want them to die on their first battle." I seethed quietly. I wasn't that weak. With a bit of training I would be strong. Stronger than her.

"I need warriors now!" Darktail snarled. Darktail jumped down from the rock and stalked over to the nursery quickly dragging out a struggling Goldenkit. My eyes widened. What was he going to do? "You should consider where your loyalties lie Needletail. Or I may be forced to kill a few… expendables." Needletail whimpered and fell to the ground. He whispered something in her ear. She nodded and he dropped Goldenkit to the ground. Darktail glared around camp. "Her name is Badgerpaw." He growled. "Anyone who has a problem can bring it up with me." With that he stomped up to his den and went inside.

After he left the camp was silent apart from Goldenkits cries. A few cats looked at me uncertainly. I heard a few whispers about how young I was but no-one wanted to induce Darktail's wrath. I glared at my paws. I'd show them. I wasn't weak.

 **A/N**

 **First of all I don't own warriors or the characters in the story apart from Badgerpaw and Goldenkit (I know the names… They are so original.) Thanks for reading the story. It's my first story on Fanfiction. Hope you enjoyed. If you didn't either say why or just don't read it. Thanks… Anyway till next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sweetkit's POV**

I licked my mom's shoulder gently. She winced every time I ran my rough tongue over the cut on her shoulder. She refused to tell me where she had gotten the scars that littered her body, but I suspected it was to do with the cat that stood outside our den. I stopped licking for a second and looked at the wound. It had obviously been inflicted by someone's claws because there were no brambles in the den.

I sighed. I often wished that I could see the brambles that mom blamed her scratches on. And with the brambles came the sky. The older cats in the den sometimes talked about how blue it was, and how warm… I shook myself, grabbed some cobwebs and tightly bound the wound. There was no use wishing for something that I had never experienced.

"There you go Minnowtail." I whispered. She purred softly at me and gave me a big lick on my head. I flinched back as she did so. Great now I had to clean my fur.

I watched as mom turned her attention to my littermates. They were mewling pathetically in the corner. My lip curled up in disgust. They were a useless waste of space. I knew how to bind wounds, clean wounds and I didn't need unnecessary attention or food. I opened my eyes a few hours after I was born. A few weeks later and my precious littermates still hadn't opened theirs.

When mom lay down next to them they instantly quieted and started to suckle. I turned my head around in displeasure. I could feel my mom giving me a pleading look. She had long since given up on making me suckle and I often saw older cats looking at me in discomfort. I guess it was weird for them to see such a skinny, small kit, but they would have to deal with it.

Sometimes I thought about what it would have been like if it was different. If I was born in Riverclan. I probably would have been plump and happy. My eyes would be bright and happy instead of dark and thoughtful. I would probably be just like my littermates suckling. From where I was I could smell the milky scent and the kit part of me just wanted to run over and nuzzle against my littermates. I growled slightly. I was better than that.

Instead I headed over to where Brackenpelt lay. When I approached she flicked an ear. She turned her eyes towards me and I supressed a shiver. It wasn't the colour that creeped me out. It was the three long scratches that ran over both her eyes. None of the older cats told me what had happened but the scratches looked inflicted by a cat, a bit like the ones mom always has. I stayed still as she slowly leant towards me and sniffed me. When she worked out who I was she smiled.

"Ah," she rasped "Sweet, my favourite little visitor." She purred. I blinked at her and smiled back, not that she could see. She pulled me closer with her tail and gave me a small lick on the head, not at all like the big, slobbery, careless ones that mom gives. Her head tilted towards me. "So what do you want to here about today young one." I looked up at her. Without the scratches over her eyes she would have been quite pretty.

"Some of the older cats have been talking about this thing called Starclan." I blinked at Brackenpelt confused. "What's that?" I could feel her tense up. I prodded slightly. "Brackenpelt?" She shook herself.

"Sorry Sweet." She turned her head in the direction of the entrance of the den. "Around here Starclan is a touchy subject. She twitched her whiskers slightly. I growled angrily. Why di everyone think I was too young for everything. I had lived my whole life here! If they wanted me to be innocent they were a bit late.

Brackenpelt touched her nose to mine. "However, I think that there is no use keeping things secret. You're bound to find out soon enough anyway." I looked at her, surprised. I leant up against her coarse fur and closed my eyes.

"Starclan is the clan in the sky." Brackenpelt began. My whiskers twitched. What?! I opened my mouth to question her but then remembered her rule against interruptions. Besides she would know what she was talking about.

"Starclan is thought to be all wise. They know what every cat is thinking, they know the future and the past and they are the most beautiful cats. All worthy warriors who follow the warrior code go to Starclan. There is endless hunting and no leaf-bare and when a cat reaches Starclan all of their ailments are gone. The old are made young, the sick - healthy, the weak – strong.

But then there is the other side. If you do not follow the warrior code, if you kill a cat or are greedy and only care about yourself you are sent to the Dark Forest. There you are always hungry. You are always thirsty. You are always aching. You are always fighting against other cats to survive." Bracken pelts eyes turned misty.

"But Starclan isn't always such a happy place. Kits as young and younger than yourself die. They die before they've had a full life. They can never become warriors or have kits of their own. They live in Starclan until they are forgotten and then they fade." I blinked back tears. I couldn't imagine kits like me dying. That wasn't fair or wise.

"Starclan aren't always wise. They often don't see what is happening right under their noses until it is too late and they come up with a haphazard solution. Luckily the solutions haven't failed until now.

These days it isn't as simple. No-one is sure if Starclan really exists. Even I am starting to doubt myself." I watched as a tear fell from Brackenpelts broken eyes. I started licking Brackenpelts fur soothingly. The den was beginning to turn dark. It was late.

"You must be tired." I whispered. "I'm sure that Starclan is real. I bet their looking down at you now." But even as I said those words I felt doubt fill my heart. Why would an all wise clan not be able to foresee one of the worst disasters to ever befall the clans?

 **The Prisoners**

Riverclan:

Minnowtail – dark gray and white she-cat

Shadenose – dark brown she-cat

Brackenpelt – tortoiseshell she-cat with slashed eyes

Nightflower- dark gray she-cat with blue eyes

Softpaw – cream she-cat with brown eyes

Sweetkit – light gray and brown she-cat with a white tail

Applekit – white long-furred tom

Flowerkit – light gray she-cat

Mosskit – black she-cat with a gray tail

Windclan :

Brindletail – mottled brown she-cat

Emberfoot – gray tom with two dark paws

Heathertail – light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Mudpelt – brown tom with black paws

Snowpaw – white she-cat with blue eyes

Rouges and Kittypets :

Fluffy – gray tom with a black tail

Autumn – gray tabby she-cat with brown eyes

Crow – black tom

Merlin – black tabby tom

Lil' Stripy – gray and brown she-cat

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I need some cat names for Riverclan, Windclan and Thunderclan. Autumn is the name of my cat and Merlin and Lil' stripy is what I named her littermates. I don't know what they are called now. I think Autumn knows that I'm writing about her because she is looking at me. Until next time.**

 **Muntin**


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